Tips for a Successful Final Consulting Project You are welcome to ask questions at any time!

Getting Started Work in a google doc Meet with your client ASAP Do not worry about formatting when working in the google doc, just get all ideas down Later, transfer work to word document, format in word, and send it in Meet with your client ASAP Brainstorm ideas for deliverables—make sure they are substantial Stay organized Be on top of deadlines

Letter of Transmittal First page of project One page letter presenting the project to your client Example in textbook is really helpful! But make sure the letter is appropriate for your audience

Formatting Follow examples on ELMS Single-spaced and double spaces between paragraphs Keep paragraphs and sentences short Include visuals and also label the visuals clearly Do your table of contents last You do not know what you are going to add or cut to your final paper, so the page numbers can change List of visuals Proper headings and subheadings Great way to organize Include a lot of headings!

Headings

Visuals—great! But don’t crowd the visuals on the page Remember to make the text appealing and easy to read at all times. Make sure to label all visuals clearly.

Visuals—great! You do not have to include a list of figures unless you are using many visuals (charts, tables, etc).

SWOT Analysis Make sure it is in parallel structure Consider including an introduction about your SWOT analysis, graphic of your SWOT analysis, and subheadings explaining the SWOT analysis in greater detail

Research—primary Survey and interview Get started on these ahead of time, so you have enough time to get adequate results If applicable, use surveymonkey.com Try to include visuals of your primary research in your report (screenshots) Include all of your primary research results in the appendix of your project at the end of the report

Recommendations—be detailed, yet clear and concise Targets for marketing plan Promotion of the shop local mentality Personal value of homes Marketing visuals Logo Web presence Registration on Angie’s List (local reviews for consumers) and Independent We Stand app (popular app to look up local businesses)

Deliverables Logo Truck decal (with details on prices and analysis) Any time you give the client any recommendation that involves him/her spending money, you must analyze the cost of your recommendation and see whether that expenditure would be worthwhile for the client. Website Screenshots and explanations to explain how to edit the site and navigate it Screenshots of homepage, about page, contact page, testimonials page (came from primary research—interviews)

Conclusion Your report needs a conclusion This statement should consist of a summary of the recommendations. It should also include a statement concerning how these recommendations will impact the organization in the future.

Additional Tips It is alright for your report to include some repetition Your report should be approximately ten to twelve pages in length per student working on the topic. This number of pages does not include the letter of transmittal, the table of contents, the cover sheet, or the executive summary. It does, however, include the visuals and all of your detailed recommendations. If you are telling the client something he/she should know already (such as background of the company), be sure to use words such as “As you know…” or “As you may remember…” Use simple language, do not be extravagant Know your audience Use plenty of white space to keep the report attractive and help the reader